Radiant Heating Basics That You Can Benefit From – Starting Today

Written by Yamna IrfanPosted on 01/04/2016

Winter is upon us, and although temperatures may not have hit
below-freezing yet in many parts of the United States, people have already
started to remain indoors to avoid the cold weather. This decrease in
temperature makes it easy to understand why
home heating is a major expense
during wintertime.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, space heating is the
largest
home energy expense, accounting for 45 percent of monthly
energy bills. The amount you pay to stay warm reflects your choice of home
heating. While deciding your home’s heating system, you will have to consider
factors such as your budget, personal preferences and the availability of fuel
types in your area. You will then choose from one of the suitable choices of fuel
that generate heat (common choices are oil, natural gas, electricity, propane
and even wood). Next, you will determine how you want the heat delivered
throughout your home.

The two popular choices for home heating are
forced air and
radiant heat. While it’s important to know about both home
heating systems, it’s equally important to be aware of their pros and cons. Here
is our cheat sheet on both:

What is Forced
Air?

A forced air heating system distributes heat throughout a house
using air to carry it. This system is usually found in homes with central
heating and air ducts and its furnace is typically located in the center of the
home or in the basement. Common models burn natural gas to produce a flame that
heats the air, which then generates heat throughout the house. With this
system, you have the option of using electric furnaces as well.

Pros:

Air is moved around the house to promote circulation

Consumer can choose between electric and natural gas furnaces

Cons:

Energy-consuming

Requires homes to have air ducts

Pushes allergens throughout the house

Increased chances of heat to be lost as warm air travels to rooms

Opportunities for air to leak wherever there are small openings in the ducts

Although forced air is the traditional method for heating homes,
professionals and homeowners are beginning to prefer radiant heating systems
over forced air because of its minimal maintenance requirement and energy
efficiency. The quality of radiant heat is one factor that draws attention to
people. The second factor is that
in-floor heating heats up both your floor as
well as your room, whereas, forced air heats your room alone, leaving the
floors cold. You can visit our
website to get an instant quote on your room or to
determine how much energy is required to heat up your room by using our
Energy Use Calculator.

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